I wasn't looking for this game, but I found a gem. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is for me the best game of gamescom

The Onimusha series dates back to 2001 with the release of Onimusha: Warlords, a game so well received that it initiated a whole series of stories about oni warriors who, in a fantastic version of feudal Japan, face monsters from the underworld known as "genma". After the first game, we got Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, which received a remaster in May this year, followed by Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, where one of the two playable characters was Jacques, whose face was modelled on... Jean Reno. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, released in March 2006, did not receive such a warm reception, and the entire series gradually faded into oblivion, leaving fans out in the cold. Quite recently, in December 2024, we got an announcement for Onimusha: Way of the Sword at The Game Awards gala. At first, I didn't pay this title any particular attention, but after trying out the short demo at gamescom, I'm tempted to say that I just played my favorite game of the fair.

Musashi Miyamoto

By "short demo", I mean about 20 minutes of action-packed gameplay. But let's start with the main character of the game, Musashi Miyamoto himself. The famous ronin and founder of the dual sword fighting school has already appeared in various pop culture works; we can read about his adventures in the brilliant manga Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue. The demo version of the new Onimusha did not focus on the plot, its intention was to show the basic combat mechanics and great audiovisuals. We could also sense the extraordinary charisma of the protagonist (his face was modeled on Toshiro Mifune!), who doesn't really want to become a hero, but is somewhat forced into this role.

The demo itself began with a stage in the forest, where fleeing civilians were being massacred by demons. Moving further - towards Kyoto, which is the setting of the game - I encountered the first opponents. They wielded katanas and were not particularly difficult to defeat on normal difficulty level. I can't find any problems with the responsiveness of the controls; Musashi is not particularly fast, but we also don't get the impression of tank controlls. However, what I liked the most was the combat itself, which is very fluid and, along with really good animations, makes a great impression. The combat system turns out to be simply excellent, you can feel every hit and the weight of the weapon here.

Master of the blade

Musashi can attack while holding the weapon with both hands, which is equivalent to a strong attack, or wielding the sword in one hand, which means a light attack. I only had a katana at my disposal, so I can't say at this stage whether more types of weapons will appear, but I don't think there's anything to worry about - there were plenty weapons to choose from in previous installments of the series. Fans of the series will surely know what I'm talking about if I write that the main character has a glove. For the uninitiated, let me explain that the Oni Gauntlet is an iconic element of Onimusha - it absorbs the souls of killed genma; I assume that this time too, souls will be a resource needed for character development etc., although there was no opportunity to spend them in the demo. The aforementioned glove will likely play an important role in the game's plot, as a female voice comes from within it at scripted moments. The chemistry between Miyamoto and the creature speaking from the glove was another strong point of the demo.

But back to the combat - I was positively surprised by the enemy counter system, because here, just like in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, we can press the block button just before the enemy's attack and not only avoid damage, but also deprive the opponent of a significant portion of the stamina bar. And when it drops to zero, we get a chance to deal high damage, which almost always leads to a unique finishing blow. I even managed to knock two enemies off balance at about the same time and Musashi performed a very spectacular, almost cinematic, double finisher. The situation looked really interesting when the enemy was attacking me from behind - in such moments, when I pressed the block button, the protagonist didn't suddenly turn face to the opponent, but instead moved his sword behind his back, countering the blow. A small detail, but it adds to the overall presentation.

By making a perfect counter and pressing the right button, we also gain the ability to charge our weapon with a special aura, which will allow us to deal more damage. Counterattacking also fills up the appropriate bar, which allows us to unleash a spectacular special attack. Demons can also counter Musashi's attacks, so this requires learning their attack patterns. Our warrior has a stamina bar, which fortunately is not depleted by strikes and dodges. It is lost only and exclusively when damage is taken. Loss of stamina usually means exposing us to the demons' attacks, although I had the impression that leading to such a situation is extremely difficult.

I also came across a boss. The animations of his attacks and overall way he moved impressed with every detail. The fight itself was divided into two stages, which gave time to learn all the opponent's moves, but also provided a quite satisfying challenge, to which I would very much like to return. After completing the first phase of the battle, the game introduced me to the last mechanic - after selecting the appropriate part of the opponent's body, I could inflict more damage or receive more souls. An interesting option, allowing you to choose a reward for a well-fought battle.

A game that I didn't know I was waiting for

Onimusha: Way of the Sword pleasantly surprised me with its combat, level of animations, a distinctive protagonist, and the overall atmosphere of a fantastical Japan dealing with evil forces. And what is probably most important to me - the new Onimusha is a bright light in a tunnel filled to the brim with soulslike games. It was wonderful to finally see something different, something that doesn't follow the pattern of rolling and keeping an eye on the stamina. After finishing the demo, I still had 10 minutes left and instead of taking a break, like any normal person would do at gamescom, I simply played the demo version again. And I absolutely did not regret it later.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword

2026

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• Overview

• action games
• Capcom
• Japan
• Onimusha (series)
• gamescom 2025